On August 3 the SS Cristobal was the first ship to transit the canal from ocean to ocean.  The construction of the canal was completed in 1914, 401 years after Panama was first crossed by Vasco Núñez de Balboa. The United States spent almost $500,000,000 (roughly equivalent to $9,169,650,000 now) to finish the project. This was by far the largest American engineering project to date.

The canal was formally opened on August 15, 1914, with the passage of the cargo ship SS Ancon.